Iran ready to start enriching in weeks if trade breaks down

President Rouhani pledged to maintain the nuclear deal with the five remaining signatories, but threatened to resume nuclear activity if trade breaks downEPA

President Rouhani insisted last night that Iran would do its best to keep itself and America’s European allies inside the nuclear deal, an act of defiance aimed at both President Trump and hardliners in the regime.

It was also a mark of the problems his government is facing from a weakening economy, collapsing currency and popular protests against corruption and unemployment. Mr Rouhani referred to Mr Trump’s announcement as “psychological warfare”.

He said he would open talks with the European Union, Russia and China to see if trade could continue as before. However, Richard Grenell, the new US ambassador to Germany, said that German companies should wind down operations in Iran.